Potential Utility of Quantitative Magnetisation Transfer Imaging for Detection of Lesion Extent in Glioblastoma Multiforme

Gerard Thompson^1,2, Sha Zhao^1,2, Samantha J. Mills^1,2, John R. Cain^1,2, Geoff J M Parker^1,2, Alan Jackson^1,2

Glioblastoma multiforme is an aggressive primary brain tumour, which invades preferentially along white matter tracts. Histopathological and PET evidence suggests that at the time of diagnosis, infiltrating tumour already exists at sites distant from the enhancing tumour visible on conventional anatomical MR imaging. Since MR is used to plan radiotherapy and surgery, there is concern that infiltrating tumour may be missed, and may therefore escape optimal treatment. We provide preliminary evidence in two cases that quantitative magnetisation transfer (qMT) imaging can detect changes in white matter adjacent to glioblastoma which appear otherwise normal on conventional MR imaging.